2008 Toyota Sienna Problems and Recalls (418 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2008 Toyota Sienna is Body / frame (22% of 418 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 418 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
91 of 418 filings named Body / frame (22% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (45 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2007 has 352 reports on file; this year has 418. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Body / frame 91 complaints · 21.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 37
- Fires 4
- Injuries 19
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 91 | 21.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 45 | 10.8% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 36 | 8.6% | 18 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 31 | 7.4% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 28 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 26 | 6.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 21 | 5.0% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 12 | 2.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 11 | 2.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 171 | 40.9% | 8 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 09V223000 was reported 558 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09V234000 was reported 568 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V035000 was reported 791 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V036000 was reported 791 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 13V429000 was reported 1,514 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V273000 was reported 1,767 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V743000 was reported 2,541 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V396000 was reported 3,102 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V223000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V234000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V036000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V160000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V429000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V273000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V743000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V396000 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires.
-
Recall campaign 09V223000
Safety recall 09V223000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A NEW, ACCURATE LABEL TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE INACCURATE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
-
Recall campaign 09V234000
Safety recall 09V234000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- THE GVWR IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE VEHICLES.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS INSTRUCTING THEM TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA OR LEXUS DEALER FOR AN EXCHANGE OF THE CERTIFICATION LABEL AND THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL, AN INSTALLATION OF THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABEL, IF NECESSARY, AND A CORRECTION TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THIS REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 10, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
-
Recall campaign 10V035000
Safety recall 10V035000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
-
Recall campaign 10V036000
Safety recall 10V036000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
-
Recall campaign 10V160000
Safety recall 10V160000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THE CABLE MAY BREAK DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND THE SPARE TIRE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS WITH AN INTERIM LETTER INITIALLY INSTRUCTING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED DEALERS TO INSPECT FOR CORROSION. A SECOND NOTICE WILL BE SENT WHEN THE PERMANENT REMEDY IS AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE TOYOTA'S AMENDED RECALL REPORT OF JULY 19, 2010. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OCTOBER 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 13V429000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the shift lever is moved out of the Park position without the brake applied, the transmission will either engage a drive gear or Neutral, increasing the risk of a backover or roll away crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will mail interim notifications to owners beginning in late October 2013. When parts are available, owners will be sent a second notice and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V273000
Tires
- Report date
- Component:
- Tires (TIRES)
- Consequence:
- If the carrier cable is corroded due to road salt, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota sent owners in August 2014 an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and that dealers will perform an interim remedy to remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compartment, free of charge. Owners are being mailed a second letter as parts become available and dealers will replace the spare tire carrier assembly with an improved one, free of charge. The remedy campaign is being performed in phases. The first phase of the recall began July 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. NOTE: 2004-2010 Siennas subject to this recall were subject to recall campaign 10V-160 initiated in 2010. Those owners are advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles. Additionally, model year 1998-2003 Siennas were recalled as part of safety recall 10V-160. Owners of those vehicles that have not had not the remedy performed on their vehicles, should contact their Toyota dealer to schedule a free repair.
-
Recall campaign 14V743000
Safety recall 14V743000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
-
Recall campaign 16V396000
Safety recall 16V396000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 7 of 418 complaints · page 1 of 17
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear passenger’s side sliding door independently unlatched and opened. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where unknown repairs were performed. The contact stated that several years later the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while he was away, the fire department called to notify him that his vehicle had caught fire while parked in the driveway. The contact's neighbor was alerted to the fire by the vehicle's alarm system and called the fire department. The fire department extinguished the fire but was unable to determine the cause of the fire. A fire department report was filed. The fire destroyed the interior of the vehicle. The insurance company was made aware of the failure, but had not yet deemed the vehicle totaled. The vehicle remained in the driveway. The contact stated that the vehicle was an equipped BraunAbility handicap wheelchair ramp van. The contact also stated that prior to the fire, the vehicle had no failure and no warning light was illuminated. In addition, The fire wall of the engine performed as designed and protected the engine, although the interior of the vehicle was severely damaged as a result of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Throttle stuck while in reverse pulling out of a parking spot and accelerated resulting in backing into the building
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have had the traction control go on while driving on the highway even when I turn it off. Sometimes the VSC and TRAC OFF lights go on while driving. The roads are dry. Whenever I take it in to the mechanic, all the lights are off. They pulled a zero calibration code and recalibrated. It still kept happening. Then I was driving around a curve on highway speeds when the traction control light went on and the van suddenly braked on its own and I almost lost control. The tires are new and the roads were dry.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ODOMETER - FALSE - REPORTING -MONTANA TITLE - SIGNED AND NOTARIZED BY SELLER (CARVANA) "Federal and State State Law require that the owner state the mileage of a vehicle upon transfer of ownership. If you fail to complete this disclosure or provide a false statement, you may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment." We were sold Toyota Sienna 110477 miles, however the odometer reads 206625 miles. We reached out to Carvana to resolve the issue, they refused. -CARFAX History -PIC OF ODOMETER -Copy of the TITLE notarized false miles -Bill of Sale Thank You, AWAN AUTO GROUP
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The head gasket that was repaired failed and the radiator system also failed. Im not sure if these issues are dealer related or manufacture related as i spoke to the previous owner and they stated they had the vehicle serviced at a manufacturer prior to doing a trade in with the dealer
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The material used by Toyota to manufacture the dash is breaking down. Toyota is aware of this issue due to cracking and offered a limited extended warranty which I never received any notification (and many others did not per Toyota's chat forum). Cracking I can deal with. But now the material is continuing to break down and a thick sticky liquid is separating and rising to the surface creating a terrible sheen. When exposed to direct sunlight the visibility through the front windshield is dangerously low. The road basically disappears. I brought this to the attention of Toyota Brand Engagement Center on Nov. 10. 2023 (File #231110000552). I requested Toyota do the right thing, update their response policy, and authorize a dash replacement at a local Toyota dealership, but they refused based on the response policy they had established many years ago even after I explained the situation is not just cosmetic any longer. I explained the sudden loss of visibility and how incredibly dangerous and frightening it was, but they still refused to address the issue, so I am forced to bring this to your attention. Based on the Toyota's forum this is a widespread issue through several model years. Based on my experience I am confident there will be many accidents due to this manufacturing defect. Please investigate and request Toyota do the right thing to protect their customers.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 91 of 418 reports (22%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Toyota Sienna?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.